Buller River

Buller (Kawatiri)
River
Buller River near Berlins
Name origin: named for Charles Buller
Country	New Zealand
Region	Tasman, West Coast
Tributaries
- left	Travers, Gowan, Mangles, Matakitaki, Maruia, Inangahua, Blackwater, Ohikanui
- right	Hope, Owen, Matiri
Cities	Saint Arnaud, Murchison, Westport
Landmark	Buller Gorge
Source	Southern Alps (Saint Arnaud Range)
- location	Lake Rotoiti, New Zealand
- coordinates	41°48′10″S 172°49′20″E / 41.80278°S 172.82222°E / -41.80278; 172.82222
Mouth	Tasman Sea
- location	Karamea Bight, New Zealand
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
- coordinates	41°43′45″S 171°35′20″E / 41.72917°S 171.58889°E / -41.72917; 171.58889Coordinates: 41°43′45″S 171°35′20″E / 41.72917°S 171.58889°E / -41.72917; 171.58889
Length	177 km (110 mi)
Discharge
- average	429 m3/s (15,150 cu ft/s)
The Buller River system

The Buller River is in the South Island of New Zealand. One of the country's longest rivers, it flows for 170 kilometres (110 mi) from Lake Rotoiti through the Buller Gorge and into the Tasman Sea near the town of Westport. As Rotoiti itself is fed by the Travers River it can be claimed that the Buller's source is at the headwaters of the Travers, on the northern slopes of Mount Travers in the Saint Arnaud Range. The Paparoa Range separates the Buller River from the Grey River. A number of flora and fauna are found in the Buller watershed, many of these extending onto the slopes of the Paparoa Range.

The Maori name for the Buller, Kawatiri, is rarely used.

The Buller River upstream from Murchison along with the Mangles River are popular for whitewater kayaking and recreational fishing.State Highway 6 follows the river for much of its length.

This river has an annual mean flow of 429 cubic metres per second (15,100 cu ft/s) and boasts the highest flood flow of any New Zealand river which is over 14,000 cubic metres per second (490,000 cu ft/s).

The Buller has several major tributaries. These include (in order from Lake Rotoiti) the Gowan River, the Matakitaki River, the Maruia River, and the Inangahua River. Other smaller tributaries include the Hope, Owen, Mangles, Matiri, Blackwater, and Ohikanui Rivers.